So this is my short story I had some sores on my upper lip that the doctor at the clinic couldn't id. He sent me to specialist who took a sample and it tested pos for herpes. he me several times if we had any new animals in our house and i didn't think of any. Anyway it cleared up with meds but since has been reocurring in a more southern region . I have been with only 2 women in my 52 years both for mopre than 15 years each so I didn't get it from any sexual contact. I didn't think of it when I saw the spec. but my wife pointed out that I had been scratched on the lip by a pet hamster. In the four years since the diagnoses I have tried to be careful and avoid sex with my wife during outbreaks, but there has been quite a few times that I didn't realize I had and outbreak till the morning after a sexual marathon. So far my wife has not contracted the virus. My question . Is it possible to contract it from an animal scratch? and would it be a different strain that maybe does not tranfer from person to person easily? one other thing . does outbreaks change? when i first got it it was painful and sore now I don't always notice when I get one.. Sorry not quite as short as I thought this would be. I hope some one can give me some answers thank you

I can only answer a few of your questions, not sure if you can get it from an animal scratch but my very first outbreak started out looking as though I had scratched myself and then progressed into a full-blown thing, so that may be what you actually experienced. For most people your initial outbreak is the worst one you'll experience and over time symptoms ease up for the majority of herpes sufferers so you very well may not notice you have outbreaks depending on how long you have had it. Also has your wife been tested? She may also have it and just not be showing any signs of the disease, herpes is a very weird disease like that. To me it's like flipping a coin she may or may not get it regardless of if your having an outbreak or not (it can spread when your not having an outbreak as well.) I hope I was able to help you a little bit.

So this is my short story I had some sores on my upper lip that the doctor at the clinic couldn't id. He sent me to specialist who took a sample and it tested pos for herpes. he me several times if we had any new animals in our house and i didn't think of any. Anyway it cleared up with meds but since has been reocurring in a more southern region . I have been with only 2 women in my 52 years both for mopre than 15 years each so I didn't get it from any sexual contact. I didn't think of it when I saw the spec. but my wife pointed out that I had been scratched on the lip by a pet hamster. In the four years since the diagnoses I have tried to be careful and avoid sex with my wife during outbreaks, but there has been quite a few times that I didn't realize I had and outbreak till the morning after a sexual marathon. So far my wife has not contracted the virus. My question . Is it possible to contract it from an animal scratch? and would it be a different strain that maybe does not tranfer from person to person easily? one other thing . does outbreaks change? when i first got it it was painful and sore now I don't always notice when I get one.. Sorry not quite as short as I thought this would be. I hope some one can give me some answers thank you

When I was in college a million years ago, I developed this horrible sores in my mouth. It was so bad I couldn't eat or drink. Went to the college clinic and was told I had herpes. I didn't have a clue what it was. I found out that everyone has the carries herpe virus. For me my mother had just been killeand she was paying my through college so I also was very depressed and very rundown. I guy I had been seeing had a cold sore and with my immune system so bad I contracted the herpe virus with just kissing him. Every once in awhile when I would be rundown I would get a cold sore. When I met my husband to, be after a couple of months when we would have intercourse it hurt so bad! Went to the doctor he told me we had transferred the cold sore/herpe by oral sex and was totally covered inside with them! This just was about the time when we started hearing about the herpe outbreak. I had no idea about the virus before this or that you transfer it and become gential herpes. My husband also ended up with it later on. So yes, your wife could be infected with no signs. So you can get them starting just with a cold sore and transferring to gential herpes. If only I had that information, we wouldn't have contracted the virus. One thing that I noticed anytime you get really stressed, it can bring them on. But over the years we very rarely breakout. One more thing, you can spead the virus without any breakout. I hope this helps and I'm sorry you have them, especially with stigma it carries. Good luck.